Police reopen Lakewood hospital; no suspect found

LAKEWOOD — Lakewood Regional Medical Center and a nearby school were locked down for about an hour Tuesday while police searched for a suspect with a gun.

No suspect was found, and the hospital and school, St. Pancratius Catholic School, were reopened by about 1:15 p.m., according to police and hospital officials.

A nurse told authorities she had seen a visitor with a weapon in his or her waistband, and that the person was engaged in an argument with another person at the facility.

"From what I understand it was a disgruntled relationship between a patient and a boyfriend, husband, something of that nature," said Patrick Houston, marketing director for the hospital. "They were disgruntled and there was some kind of argument or some kind of a disagreement and one of our nurses thought she saw a weapon."

More than 100 employees and patients gathered outside the hospital, located at 3700 E. South St., while police searched the three-story building.

Emergency and operating services were not affected.

"The main thing is no patients or employees were in any immediate danger," Houston said. "Nobody ever pulled a weapon out. Nobody ever pointed a weapon at anybody."